Heroin deaths up, heroin convictions down, police stymied: NJ lawmakers need to step in (JEFF EDELSTEIN COLUMN) “Bail reform is a disaster,” this very level-headed officer told me. “Part of bail reform was to keep non-violent offenders out of jail, and that’s good, but it’s turned into is catch andRead More →
3 charged with attempted murder released on $500 bond “Simply ridiculous,” said Chief James Craig, when told of the low bonds. “What message are we sending to people who engage in violent, predatory crime? The message is: it’s not that serious.” http://ow.ly/lYiU50uE73D (Excerpt from WXYZ Detroit) In the midst ofRead More →
Texas: El Paso County Creates a Risk Assessment Shred-a-Thon Under Threat of Litigation as Momentum Against Pretrial Risk Assessment Continues to Grow On October 1, 2018, El Paso County implemented its new bail policy. El Paso’s new policy is based on the use of a risk assessment tool and theRead More →
Behind the divide on bail reform, frustration over ‘revolving door’ (excerpt from The Spokesman Review – June 2 2019) On the afternoon of April 27, Jordan Knippling emerged from his room at MultiCare Valley Hospital, kicked over a linen basket and grabbed a brand-new electrocardiogram machine. Knippling had checked himselfRead More →
AB 125 Would Implement the New Mexico Bail System in Nevada Eliminating money bail and going to the system of risk-based preventative detention has been the trend over the last few years. Unfortunately, reformers aren’t mentioning that the solution, the system of risk-based preventative detention, has been unraveling at itsRead More →
One dangerous bail reform law: The Legislature must fix mistakes that will make New York City neighborhoods more vulnerable to crime (excerpt from NY Daily News – May 28 2019) As part of this year’s budget bill, the Legislature has passed a measure that will greatly reduce the number ofRead More →
Another Wave of Opposition Against Pretrial Risk Assessments as the Texas Legislature Steams Forward House Bill 2020 is making its way through the legislature. We certainly support all efforts to increase the information judges have in making decisions and the other important changes that the bill would make to theRead More →
Opinion: Bail reform is solution looking for a problem (excerpt from Cincinnati.com May 3 2019) Bail reform was in the spotlight again this past week – Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld’s guest column “It’s time to adopt bail reform in Cincinnati,” (April 20) and The Enquirer editorial board’s “Thumbs up,” (AprilRead More →
Alaska lawmakers unveil compromise crime bill that further rolls back SB 91 (excerpt from Anchorage Daily News May 5 2019) JUNEAU — With less than two weeks remaining in the legislative session, the Alaska House Finance Committee has proposed a compromise crime-fighting plan that appears to satisfy Gov. Mike Dunleavy’sRead More →
Changes to Supreme Court rules weaken judiciary (excerpt from the Joplin Globe May 5 2019) Early this year, the Missouri Supreme Court announced its intent to make sweeping changes to the rules governing bail and pretrial detention throughout the state. The new standards are set to go into effect inRead More →
